Keion White is heading to the NFL Draft. The Georgia Tech defensive end will be in attendance when the NFL Draft gets underway in Kansas City. White, a sixth-year senior, will be one of only 17 players who will attend the draft live.
White is projected to go somewhere in the second round, but now some are wondering if he might sneak into the first round. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. at one point had him going as high as No. 19 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and ranked him in the top 5 defensive ends in the draft.
White's college career began at Old Dominion as a tight end before switching to defensive end after the 2018 season. White transferred to Georgia Tech in 2020 and, in 2022, broke out as a star defensive player for the Yellow Jackets. He recorded 54 tackles, a team-high 14 tackles for a loss and a team-best 7.5 sacks for Georgia Tech; and he earned the Chuck Bednarik Award for National Defensive Player of the Week in late November.
Don?t sleep on Keion White.
? 2023 #NFLDraft ? April 27-29 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/CdxN3ZOTmR
— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) April 24, 2023
White is a raw defensive talent with a ton of upside and a high ceiling at the pro level. He can dive back blockers with his lower-body strength and overall imposing size. He can adapt and play all over the defensive line, adding to his draft value. NFL Next Gen Stats give him a prospect grade of 6.43 and project him to be a good starter within two years.
Don't Sleep on Keion White
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The 6-foot-5 defensive end has had pre-draft visits with the Colts, Falcons, Giants, Jaguars, Packers, Ravens, Steelers, Titans and Vikings. The overall draft consensus is that White will go somewhere in the early-to-mid second round of the NFL Draft. Walterfootball has him mock-drafted to the Saints with the 40th pick. Don't sleep on the Pittsburgh Steelers, who hold the first pick in the second round, as a potential landing spot for White. If the Steelers opt to address their offensive line needs in the first round, they may look to bolster their defensive line early in the second. In addition to White, the Steelers have also brought in Baylor defensive man Siaki Ika and Clemson's Bryan Bresee for pre-draft visits, and they had a pro day meeting with Michigan's Mazi Smith.
Will White be one of the 17 players in attendance to hear his name called in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night? Or will Friday be the longest day of this young man's career as he waits to find out who will be drafting him with their second-round pick? With so much upside and potential to go along with his freakish athleticism, White could end up being a draft day steal for whoever lands him.
